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      Playing for Time

      1980 2 hr. 30 min. Drama List
      Reviews 73% 50+ Ratings Audience Score Fania Fenelon (Vanessa Redgrave), a classical pianist and singer in Paris, is arrested during the Nazi occupation for her support of the French underground resistance. After being sent to the Auschwitz concentration camp, she is recognized as a famous musician, and becomes a member of the camp's all-female orchestra. Although the group, under the leadership of conductor Alma Rose (Jane Alexander), forms a close bond, the strain of performing for their tormentors grows. Read More Read Less

      Audience Reviews

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      Clara D C Timeless movie, and I come back every once in a while to watch it again. Vanessa Redgrave's performance is beautiful, and so cool to see Christine Baranski in the beginning of her career. Definitely recommend. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 06/09/23 Full Review Max T I come back and watch this film about every year. Vanessa Redgrave's performance blows me away every time. 100% recommend everyone to watch this. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 05/26/23 Full Review Audience Member "Playing for Time" explores the interactions of a group of female Auschwitz inmates who share an uncommon bond – the "privilege" of being inducted into the camp orchestra. At times the film is up to the task in graphically portraying the debasement of the Jews under Nazism, such as the brutal conditions they endure as they are deported to Auschwitz, and the assembly line visuals of naked women being shorn hairless. On the other hand, glaring shortcomings hobble its power to fully immerse the viewer into this realm of the macabre, where the soothing effects of orchestra music facilitate the orderly herding of vast numbers of men, women, and children into Auschwitz's gas chambers. An overarching deficiency, the failure to capture the epic scale of Auschwitz's numbers and all-encompassing savagery, paints the film's atmosphere with a much more benign palette than reality would dictate. This probably should not surprise us, though, since budget constraints often plague movies produced for television. What is more troubling is the inexplicable casting of Vanessa Redgrave in the role of Fania Fenelon, a Parisian cabaret singer of that era, upon whom the movie is based. Forget the fact that Redgraves' physical type is the polar opposite of Fenelon's. What can't be ignored is that Redgraves' singing prowess doesn't even approach the level of talent one would need to be plucked from a labor detail in Auschwitz to fill the solo slot in an orchestra - to sing opera, no less. From its opening scene until the finale, "Playing for Time" showcases the full range of Redgraves' vocal mediocrity as she incessantly regales us with a variety of tunes. The absurdity approaches gas lighting though, as she mesmerizes Dr. Mengele and other Nazi officials while croaking out various Madame Butterfly arias. Kudos to the acting chops of Shirley Knight as Maria Mandel, a high ranking Nazi official and music aficionado. Her apparent rapture during these performances is almost believable. Was Fenelon canonized at some point? I must have missed that because only a saint could have navigated through that abyss with such absolute moral clarity. Her prodigious ego rides roughshod over credibility as she consistently and unabashedly inserts herself as the spiritual guru of her own story. The rest of the orchestra members serve as mere counter points, a troupe of childlike, morally deficient or intellectually lazy minions whom she graces with her pearls. Take, for instance, her inner turmoil after being gifted with a "tainted" link of sausage, procured by the ever pragmatic Marianne, via a "roll in the hay" of sorts with an SS Officer. Rather than showing gratitude, Redgrave proceeds to hold forth about the spiritual consequences collateral to that medium of exchange. We then witness every protracted nuance of Redgrave chewing the scenery while struggling to chew the offending sausage link. Seriously? After being systematically starved for months? The portrayal of the renowned vocalist, Fania Fenelon, by an actress who can barely sing and as a character whose unbridled sanctimoniousness sours our empathy for her, seriously ratchets down the quality of "Playing for Time". In spite of this, the film's thought provoking foray into the "grey zone" that was endemic to Auschwitz, in which the struggle to survive often necessitated some form of collusion with the enemy, provides enough of a counter balance to redeem this film. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/15/23 Full Review Audience Member It's a good movie but not amazing. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/30/23 Full Review Audience Member i did not know this was based on a true story the movie has not aged too well but is still very good acting was good interesting story some scenes were surprisingly intense some parts felt a bit slow a must watch for those trying to learn about the holocaust Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/07/23 Full Review andy f A quite amazing film and probably one of the best and most moving films set during World War II. A dazzling script from Arthur Miller and an incredible cast performance (especially from Vanessa Redgrave) puts this often overlooked film in the same standing as the likes of Schindler's List and The Pianist. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Read all reviews Post a rating

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      Critics Reviews

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      Sean Axmaker Stream on Demand ... one of the most powerful TV events of its era. Sep 11, 2010 Full Review Read all reviews

      Movie Info

      Synopsis Fania Fenelon (Vanessa Redgrave), a classical pianist and singer in Paris, is arrested during the Nazi occupation for her support of the French underground resistance. After being sent to the Auschwitz concentration camp, she is recognized as a famous musician, and becomes a member of the camp's all-female orchestra. Although the group, under the leadership of conductor Alma Rose (Jane Alexander), forms a close bond, the strain of performing for their tormentors grows.
      Director
      Daniel Mann
      Screenwriter
      Arthur Miller
      Production Co
      Szygzy Productions
      Genre
      Drama
      Original Language
      English
      Release Date (Streaming)
      Jul 6, 2017